are true, as in the case of someone to whom it was unveiled that Venus is above Mercury, and another to whom it was unveiled that it is below Mercury.” He said, “According to this man’s unveiling, it is above Mercury, while according to that man’s unveiling, it is below Mercury,” and likewise in similar cases. Thus, they made established realities conform to spiritual unveiling, belief, and speech.

[For this reason they say:
“Go wherever you wish, for Allah is there;
And say whatever you wish concerning Him, for Allah is the All-Encompassing.”] (*).

The implication of this principle is that everyone may say whatever he wishes and believe whatever he wishes, without distinguishing between truth and falsehood, or between a truthful person and a liar, and that nothing in existence is to be rejected. This is indeed what they say.

This concerns statements and knowledge. As for commands and actions, their adept says:

“Nothing is forbidden for us. But these veiled people said, ‘It is forbidden,’ so we said, ‘It is forbidden for you.’”

Thus, they acknowledge neither command nor prohibition, as the judge who was a disciple of the author of al-Fusūs said in verses recited to me by the witness Ibn ‘Amad, known as ‘Ar‘ayh (1):

“All things form but a single order … containing neither praise nor blame;
Only custom, innate disposition, and the Lawgiver … assign distinctions in judgment.”

Accordingly, nothing remains for words and deeds but mere power. This is why they always go along with whatever occurs: whatever exists and takes place is, in their view, true. Thus, the lawful is whatever you find and whatever comes into your possession; the unlawful is whatever you declare unlawful; truth is whatever you say, whatever it may be; and falsehood is whatever no one has said.

These people are worse than the libertine heretics who follow sheer predestination. For those people negate commands and prohibitions, reward and punishment, whereas these